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Mimeo E, no. 072 (1981)

Page 001

E-72
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
household & public health insects
SPIDERS
Gary W. Bennett and Ralph E. Williams, Extension Entomologists
Spiders are familiar to almost everyone. They are closely related to ticks, mites and daddy longlegs, all of which have 8 legs and 2 body regions. Insects, on the other hand, have 6 legs and 3 body regions.
There are nearly 400 species of spiders in Indiana. They live almost everywhere, including inside homes and buildings. Spiders feed entirely upon living insects or animals small enough for them to catch. They usually lie in wait for their prey, and many build webs to trap their prey.
The webs are made of fine silken threads produced by spinnerets located near the end of the spider's abdomen. The silk is secreted in liquid form which hardens when exposed to the air. Spiders use the silk not only to make webs, but also to line their nests, construct egg sacs and to make "parachutes" on which some species travel for great distances.
Spiders reproduce by laying eggs contained in an egg sac. These sacs are usually ball-shaped and may be carried by the female wherever she goes. Some species hide their sacs in the web or tuck them away elsewhere. Egg sacs frequently contain several hundred eggs.
Some people have the idea that all spiders are poisonous or dangerous to handle, but this is not true. The only native spiders capable of inflicting serious injury to humans are the black widow and the brown recluse or fiddle-hack spider. Both spiders are found in Indiana. Neither spider will bite unless provoked.
BLACK WIDOW SPIDER
The female black widow, with its legs extended, would about cover a penny and is jet black in color. The abdomen is spherical and in the female it is marked on the underside with a red or yellow "hour glass."
There may be a few red spots also on the top of the abdomen. The poison of the black widow affects the nervous system of humans. Persons bitten may experience a variety of symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulty, nausea, and severe pain around the wound. In such instances, a physician should be contacted immediately.
The black widow lives in undisturbed locations, such as under rocks and boards and in and around old buildings. She is active on her irregular web during the day.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907

E-72
DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
household & public health insects
SPIDERS
Gary W. Bennett and Ralph E. Williams, Extension Entomologists
Spiders are familiar to almost everyone. They are closely related to ticks, mites and daddy longlegs, all of which have 8 legs and 2 body regions. Insects, on the other hand, have 6 legs and 3 body regions.
There are nearly 400 species of spiders in Indiana. They live almost everywhere, including inside homes and buildings. Spiders feed entirely upon living insects or animals small enough for them to catch. They usually lie in wait for their prey, and many build webs to trap their prey.
The webs are made of fine silken threads produced by spinnerets located near the end of the spider's abdomen. The silk is secreted in liquid form which hardens when exposed to the air. Spiders use the silk not only to make webs, but also to line their nests, construct egg sacs and to make "parachutes" on which some species travel for great distances.
Spiders reproduce by laying eggs contained in an egg sac. These sacs are usually ball-shaped and may be carried by the female wherever she goes. Some species hide their sacs in the web or tuck them away elsewhere. Egg sacs frequently contain several hundred eggs.
Some people have the idea that all spiders are poisonous or dangerous to handle, but this is not true. The only native spiders capable of inflicting serious injury to humans are the black widow and the brown recluse or fiddle-hack spider. Both spiders are found in Indiana. Neither spider will bite unless provoked.
BLACK WIDOW SPIDER
The female black widow, with its legs extended, would about cover a penny and is jet black in color. The abdomen is spherical and in the female it is marked on the underside with a red or yellow "hour glass."
There may be a few red spots also on the top of the abdomen. The poison of the black widow affects the nervous system of humans. Persons bitten may experience a variety of symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulty, nausea, and severe pain around the wound. In such instances, a physician should be contacted immediately.
The black widow lives in undisturbed locations, such as under rocks and boards and in and around old buildings. She is active on her irregular web during the day.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907